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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · spell · arm · date · charge · band · wind · fine

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. spell — magic
  3. band — a music group
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fine — all right
  6. wind — moving air
  7. band — a ring
  8. charge — a price
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. charge — in control
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. date — the fruit
  18. stand — to bear
  19. charge — electricity
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fine — high quality
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com